When I was in 8th grade, my favorite teacher told me I would grow up to be a *writer*. She wasn't wrong—writing was my first love and first real job. Present-day me has somewhat of a blurrier occupation title, but my core remains true to what Mrs. Simone saw in 14-year-old me: the drive to tell stories I find to be beautiful and real. 12 years later, my work allows me to:

Capture the richness of life unfolding before us through photography.

Not just tell a story, but use video to take the viewer for a ride into the narrative with me.

Punctuate a woman's innate beauty and transform her energy through makeup—in no small way because it's the adult version of playing dress-up.

Convey a brand's soul through visuals, using beautiful, authentic branding as a megaphone for their unique brilliance.

Voice my own questions and gems of answers found—not as an exercise in narcissism, but to speak to the thing that unites us all: navigating the struggles that blow our way to the best of our abilities.

For the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Lauren McGrath. Not only have her photographic skills taken my editorial features to the next level, her ability to help you tap into your creative side is unmatched. There was an immediate positive attitude shift in reader’s appreciation for her photography with her magnetic energy spilling into every shot.

— Sabir M. Peele, Founder & Creative Director of Men's Style Pro Blog

Lauren is a force: a smart self-starter with a true talent for writing, an eye for detail, and the motivation and passion to make any project she works on—from blogging to photography to editorial work—a success. She’s got a terrific work ethic, and is endlessly motivated to learn new tasks, take on more responsibility and grow within her field. I’m happy to have worked with her for several years, and she was an incredible addition to our editorial team. 

— Emily Goulet, Deputy Editor, Philadelphia Magazine

Whether she’s writing, reporting or taking stunning photographs, Lauren McGrath has consistently been on of my favorite collaborators. She was such an obvious rising star during our time as Philadelphia Magazine editors that I immediately jumped at the chance to sign her up as a freelance writer/photographer for Curalate. Her work ethic is top notch. Her attitude is constantly positive. She brings a unique combination of smarts and style to every project.

— Jared Shelley, Manager of Content Strategy at Curalate

Lauren has played a huge role in helping us strategically brand our beauty business. She took the time to fully understand all our business goals, our language, and our visual taste, before giving us (much needed) structure that made sense for us to grow with. Her writing style, aesthetic, photography skills, and technical awareness of what’s hot now and in the future is beyond valuable to us.

Lauren has an incredible way of making actionable your jumble of ideas to life and making them even better than you envisioned. With an arsenal of creative skills, from photography to her witty and engaging writing style to business development strategy, Lauren truly elevates any project she plays a role in.

— Mariana McGrath, Co-Founder and Lead Artist at Salt Spell Beauty

Lauren McGrath has all the traits of a great writer: she’s smart, sophisticated and deeply curious. She was asked to write a variety of articles and posts for Philadelphia Magazine and its website about shopping. Each post was well researched and entertaining to read. I was amazed that someone so young could develop the “Philly Mag” voice—cosmopolitan sensibility with a healthy dose of humor.